After leaving Antonio’s funeral behind, Amado Carrillo Fuentes and I moved to a small room.
We sat facing each other, and I instructed Manager Ma not to let anyone inside.
“Let’s hear it. Your plan.”
I was curious how he intended to capture Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
When El Chapo beca a target of the xican governnt, I had expected him to be unable to endure the humiliation and co out into the open.
But instead, he endured—and hid himself even more thoroughly.
“If we don’t capture El Chapo, the Sinaloa Cartel will never collapse.”
I gave a small nod. I thought the sa.
El Chapo was the symbol of the Sinaloa Cartel.
He was the one who had turned it into the largest cartel in xico.
“The longer this war drags on, the more losses we will inevitably suffer as well.”
“I know that. Stop circling around it and just tell how to catch him.”
You talk too much. I cut him off bluntly and told him to get to the point. Amado cleared his throat and straightened his voice.
“Ahem. The Sinaloa Cartel revolves around El Chapo, but there are two other figures at the boss level.”
“I know that too. Ismael Zambada García and Juan José Esparragoza Moreno, right? El Chapo may be the most famous, but I’ve heard those two handle internal control.”
“That’s right. Those two are essential to El Chapo. To hold together a cartel that has grown this large, their roles are significant.”
I told him to get to the point. When I raised an eyebrow, Amado gave in.
“El Azul. We’ll use him.”
“El Azul?”
El Azul had once been an agent of xican intelligence.
He took bribes from Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, protected him from behind the scenes, and eventually went under him as a subordinate.
After Félix died, he helped grow the Juárez Cartel alongside Amado.
After Amado’s “death,” he switched sides to the Sinaloa Cartel and beca one of El Chapo’s closest n.
Looking at the path El Azul had walked, it was clear he possessed an exceptional instinct for chasing power.
“I’ve already made contact.”
“You think El Azul will take your hand?”
“Yes. If it’s him, he’ll have already figured out who’s holding the gun right now.”
That was true. If it was El Azul, he could know El Chapo’s location.
“Amado. He’s one of the criminals the DEA wants most. You know why, don’t you?”
There was one reason I couldn’t agree right away.
El Azul was suspected of orchestrating the death of DEA agent Kiki Camarena from behind the scenes.
If the Committee was to bring xico’s drug cartels under one hand, cooperation with both the xican governnt and the DEA was essential.
Even if we could deal with the xican governnt, the DEA would never easily allow him into the Committee.
Amado only moved his lips without answering. It seed he hadn’t found a solution either.
“You want to clean it up for you?”
No wonder his introduction had been so long. It was obvious—he was asking to step in and secure El Azul’s safety.
“We can sohow connect with the xican governnt, but the DEA is not sothing we can handle. Can you do it?”
“And why should I? I’d rather wipe out the entire Sinaloa Cartel.”
“Then the damage to our Committee will be significant as well.”
“You think you can unify xico’s cartels without bloodshed? It’s a necessary process.”
Eliminating all mbers of the Sinaloa Cartel was unrealistic.
That was why I had planned to use ncho to absorb Sinaloa’s forces.
But if Amado’s plan succeeded, most of Sinaloa’s remnants would be absorbed by the Juárez Cartel under his influence.
And I had no intention of letting the Juárez Cartel grow any larger.
“If you accept my condition, I’ll step in.”
“A condition?”
“Yes. A very simple one.”
Amado looked at with a puzzled expression.
“I will divide the Sinaloa Cartel’s territory at my discretion.”
His eyes widened.
“That’s not acceptable. The Committee must decide that.”
“Most of the territory and forces would end up going to the Juárez Cartel anyway—through El Azul.”
Hit right where it hurt, Amado bit his lip.
“Amado. You’re no longer soone who moves only for the Juárez Cartel’s benefit. You’re soone who must lead all of xico’s cartels.”
“I know that.”
“Then why do you keep thinking in favor of Juárez? That’s the problem. Put El Azul directly under the Committee, and tear apart the Sinaloa Cartel’s territory and distribute it among the Committee’s cartels. Do that, and I’ll convince the DEA, even if I have to force it.”
Amado frowned and let out a small groan.
“Otherwise, we proceed as originally planned. El Chapo, El Azul, and El Mayo—all eliminated. No matter how well they hide, if they’re in xico, they’ll show themselves eventually. Or soone will betray them.”
I spoke firmly, and Amado let out a deep sigh.
“Charlie. Why are you so wary of ? I stepped forward to unite xico’s cartels with you. But you don’t trust .”
“I don’t trust people. I trust situations. If the Juárez Cartel becos too large, the Committee will move according to its will. What I want is a system where no single person or organization can control it.”
“Didn’t you already say you’d create an execution unit? With that and our support, you can control the cartels however you want.”
Instead of answering, I looked at him coldly.
Maybe that would work—if I kept my focus on xico.
But I couldn’t.
I needed to finish things here quickly and return to Korea to prepare for the future.
If Amado started thinking differently while my attention was elsewhere, my response would be delayed.
And if, in that gap, he joined hands with Carlos Slim, I might lose my influence in xico entirely.
“I don’t trust the Juárez Cartel. That’s my position.”
“Charlie.”
“Amado. Think long-term. The larger the Committee grows, the greater your influence will beco. Don’t ruin things by chasing short-term gains. Even Gallardo, whom you once served, didn’t expand only his own power. That’s why other cartels acknowledged him as a godfather and followed him.”
Amado fell silent.
“The mont you take sides, the Committee will fall into internal power struggles. I don’t want that. So choose. Bring in El Azul, eliminate only El Chapo, and divide the Sinaloa Cartel among the Committee—or crush them all by force.”
After a mont of thought, Amado asked,
“Can you clear El Azul’s wanted status? If that’s possible, I’ll persuade him.”
“I’ll handle that.”
“...Alright. Then I’ll accept your condition. But it must be fair.”
He emphasized the word “fair.”
I slowly rubbed my chin.
“Fair... that’s a difficult word. I’ll divide it with balance in mind.”
I said it was difficult, but in reality, it wasn’t.
Give less to the strong. Give more to the weak.
“That works.”
Amado, however, seed to think “balance” ant the stronger factions would receive larger shares.
Well, no need to correct him.
“Tell El Azul to find El Chapo’s location as quickly as possible and report back. This isn’t sothing we can drag out.”
“Understood. It won’t take long.”
After that, we sat facing each other in silence.
Soon, Amado stood up first and left.
Through the slightly open door, I could hear faint prayers for the deceased.
* * *
Having failed to eliminate ncho, El Chapo drove his subordinates relentlessly.
He raised the bounty on ncho’s head and declared that anyone who helped him would face retaliation from the Sinaloa Cartel.
But things did not go as he wanted.
The Michoacana Cartel, which had attacked ncho, was completely wiped out in the war started under the Committee’s na.
“What the hell are El Azul and El Mayo doing?!”
“They’re conducting internal crackdowns. The continuous attacks have stirred unrest inside the cartel.”
“What are they even thinking?! Tell them to attack!”
The aide struggled to calm the bloodshot-eyed El Chapo.
“Boss. There are too many cartels we have to deal with. And the rcenaries who wiped out Los Zetas haven’t even begun yet.”
“Then drag them into urban warfare. Tell everyone to hide in the cities.”
“...There will be massive civilian casualties.”
“Even better. If they get angry and side with us, we can recruit more mbers.”
“Boss!”
El Chapo had already lost the ability to make rational decisions.
Swallowing dryly, the aide offered advice.
“Boss. Let’s call another leadership eting and decide properly.”
“What? Another eting? I’ve already made all the decisions, and I’m giving orders right now!”
“Boss...”
The sharp strategist El Chapo was gone.
Just as the aide stood there in disbelief, the phone rang.
— It’s Jose. Put Joaquín on.
It was a call from El Azul, who was in another region.
“Boss. It’s Boss Jose.”
“Really?”
El Chapo answered with a bright voice.
“Jose! My friend!”
— Chapo. Are you alright? Your voice sounds rough.
“Of course. I’m El Chapo.”
— That’s good. ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Things have gotten too big. It’s ti for us to decide. Surrender, or fight until the last man.
El Chapo shouted angrily.
“What? Surrender? Jose! Are you high?”
— Chapo. It’s sothing we need to consider.
“If we surrender, do we live?”
— ......
“Don’t talk nonsense. Hang up.”
— No, I was wrong. Let’s et—you, , and El Mayo. The three of us. We need to discuss what to do.
“What’s there to discuss? I’ll say it again. Kill them all—even if it’s the president. Got it, El Azul?”
— ...Think it over and call . Goodbye.
El Azul hung up.
Grinding his teeth, El Chapo threw the satellite phone to the ground and stomped on it.
“Boss, calm down.”
“That lunatic—what the hell is he talking about?! Has he gone insane?!”
The aide barely managed to calm him.
Once El Chapo settled down slightly, the aide spoke again.
“Boss. We need to bring El Mayo and El Azul in and steady them.”
“What?”
“If those two start thinking differently, the Sinaloa Cartel is finished.”
“You think they’d betray ?”
“We can’t be sure. We should reassure them and put them at the front of this war.”
El Chapo groaned.
“Call them separately. Tell them to co alone—no n.”
“...And if they refuse?”
“...Then—”
“Kill them? Are you crazy?”
“Boss. There’s no better sacrifice to demonstrate your resolve.”
El Chapo hesitated, then shook his head.
“They would never betray . If they oppose , it’s for the cartel’s sake.”
The aide tried to speak again, but El Chapo cut him off.
“No killing. We persuade them. Call them here.”
“Boss, revealing this hideout is dangerous. Let’s set another location and prepare trusted n there.”
“I said no!”
“...Understood. I’ll prepare, just in case.”
After persistent persuasion, El Chapo finally accepted.
“...Fine. But nothing without my order.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Watching the aide bow his head, El Chapo clicked his tongue.
He had no idea what El Azul was truly thinking.
They were dreaming different dreams entirely.
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